Blog Tour - Tricia Goyer and A Whisper of Freedom

Today, I am one of several blogs kicking off a fabuloso blog tour featuring Tricia Goyer and the final book in her chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series. It lasts all this week.

Not only do you get to learn more about Tricia and her book, BUT you get to participate in a MEME questionnaire where your answers will enter you in a chance to win a FREE copy of this book PLUS be part of a group from which THREE lucky winners will be chosen to win your own "lost gold" (copies of the entire book set AND gourmet chocolate coins). :)

And there's more!

You also can enter for 1 of FIVE chances to win the book set by signing up for Tricia's fantastic newsletter here.

Here is the link to the blog tour schedule:
http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com/2008/03/whisper-of-freedom-meme-sticky-post.html

Everything else is found below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tricia Goyer is the author of twelve books including From Dust and Ashes, My Life UnScripted, and the children's book, 10 Minutes to Showtime. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like Today's Christian Woman and Focus on the Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in the mountains of Montana.

A WHISPER OF FREEDOM
by Tricia Goyer
Published by Moody Publishers

Links:
Book excerpt: http://www.triciagoyer.com/cmsdocuments/WhisperCh1.doc
Watch the series trailer: http://cg.creativenuclei.com/wip/TriciaGoyer/cscw.html
Tricia's website: http://www.triciagoyer.com/
Tricia's Blogs: http://www.triciagoyer.com/blogs.html

During the tour, anyone can enter to win one of FIVE signed copies of A Whisper of Freedom by signing up for Tricia's newsletter here!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Battles heat up...not only those being waged by the soldiers on both sides fighting for Spain, but in the hearts and minds of the men and women who must sacrifice more than their dreams to save the lives of their loved ones.

In this meticulously researched novel, brave and idealistic Sophie, Philip, Jose, and Deion realize their only hope for freedom is escaping Spain's borders.

By continuing the story of this band of volunteers during the Spanish Civil War, A Whisper of Freedom proves that there are whispers of hope and liberty that resonate through even the darkest night.

Buy your copy of A Whisper of Freedom today!

Other books in the series:
Valley of Betrayal (book 1) - For reasons beyond her control, Sophie finds herself alone in the war-torn Spanish countryside. What was once a thriving paradise has become a battleground for fascist soldiers and Spanish patriots. It doesn't take long for Sophie to realize just how far from home she really is. Caught in the middle of what is quickly becoming a bloody battleground, she receives tragic news, but remaining in Spain is her only option. The route to safety is blocked and fighting surrounds her. On her darkest night, Sophie takes refuge with a brigade of international compatriots. It is among these volunteers, through the use of her fiancés camera and her art, that she pledges to make the plight of the Spanish people known around the world.

A Shadow of Treason (book 2) - Sophie discovers that nothing is as she first imagined. When Walt, the reporter who helped her over the border, shows up again after Guernica is bombed, Sophie is given an impossible mission. She must leave behind the man she's fallen in love with and return to the person who betrayed her. Another layer of the war in Spain is revealed as Sophie is drawn into the international espionage schemes that could turn the tide of the war and help protect the soldiers from the International Brigade ... but can she find a way to get the information she's discovered to Walt before it's too late?

MEME Questions

1. List three things you would do with a chest full of gold (assuming you got to keep it!)

* cash it in, put a large amount in savings or a Roth IRA and other investments with good returns on the deposit
* entice Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom to come take a look at it, so I can indulge in my fantasy of pirates and being a lass they come to visit when in port :)
* set it out and see if a rainbow forms so I can discover if those little leprechauns really do exist

2. List three charities/missions/organizations you support (and why).

* Pike's Peak Christian Church (because it has a solid family-based ministry and meets our spiritual needs
* City Hearts, they have a mission of bringing the arts to inner city children who wouldn't otherwise have that exposure
* ChildHelp USA with their mission to help abused or neglected or abandoned children find healing, hope and sometimes new families

3. List three ways you have volunteered your time/services.

* working with children in Sunday School and Children's Church
* playing taxi service
* going on short-term mission trips to Mexico and Venezuela

4. List three things you keep "hidden" when company comes over.

* my Tiki bird slippers
* the dog who loves to lick people and jump on them
* dishes until they need to be used and mounds of paperwork as much as possible

5. List the last three things you've lost.

* my mind
* my keys
* my ability to ignore into the voices in my head

6. List the last three things you've found.

* a long-spout watering can for my plants, since I'm short and have trouble reaching them
* contentment
* my sense of humor

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Readers, you've been tagged to answer the MEME questions above for your chance to win a FREE copy of A Whisper of Freedom. Be as creative as you like. The more creative the better. Have fun with the questions. Answer them all or just one of them. Your comment gets you entered.

If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post. Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net) or that it's available for viewing in your blogger profile. Wouldn't want you to miss out on winning a book. :)

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

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Blog Tour for Tricia Goyer and Shadow of Treason

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tricia Goyer has published over 300 articles for national publications such as Today's Christian Woman, Guideposts for Kids, and Focus on the Family, and is the co-author of Meal Time Moments (Focus on the Family). She has led numerous Bible Studies, and her study notes appear in the Women of Faith Study Bible (Zondervan).

She has written seven novels for Moody Publishing: From Dust and Ashes (2003), Night Song (2004), Dawn of a Thousand Nights (2005), Arms of Deliverance (2006), A Valley of Betrayal (2007), A Shadow of Treason (Fall 2007), A Whisper of Freedom (February 2008). Night Song was awarded American Christian Fiction Writer's 2005 Book of the Year for Best Long Historical. Dawn of a Thousand Nights won the same award in 2006.

Tricia has also written Life Interrupted: The Scoop on Being a Young Mom (Zondervan, 2004), 10 Minutes to Showtime (Thomas Nelson, 2004), and Generation NeXt Parenting (Multnomah, 2006). Life Interrupted was a 2005 Gold Medallion finalist in the Youth Category.

Also, coming out in the next year are: My Life, Unscripted (Thomas Nelson, 2007), Generation NeXt Marriage (Multnomah, Spring 2008), and 3:16-the teen version of the a book by Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson, Spring 2008).

Tricia and her husband John live with their three children in Kalispell, Montana. Tricia's grandmother also lives with them, and Tricia volunteers mentoring teen moms and leading children's church. Although Tricia doesn't live on a farm, she can hit one with a rock by standing on her back porch and giving it a good throw.

SHADOW OF TREASON
By Tricia Goyer
BUY YOUR COPY TODAY

ABOUT THE BOOK

Book 2 in the Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series

Sophie discovers that nothing is as she first imagined. When Walt, the reporter who helped her over the border, shows up again after Guernica is bombed, Sophie is given an impossible mission. She must leave behind the man she's fallen in love with and return to the person who betrayed her. Another layer of the war in Spain is revealed as Sophie is drawn into the international espionage schemes that could turn the tide of the war and help protect the soldiers from the International Brigade ... she must find a way to get a critical piece of information to Walt in time.

SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

1. A Shadow of Treason follows A Valley of Betrayal. This is the first time you've written books as a series instead of stand alone. Which way do you like better?

I love writing in series. It was great to continue with the same characters. In my stand-alone books I fell in love with these people and then I had to say good-bye after one book. It was wonderful to be able to continue on.

2. In A Shadow of Treason Sophie must return to the person who betrayed her in an effort to help the Spanish people. It makes the book hard to put down because the reader has to know how Sophie's heart will deal with it. What gave you the inspiration for this element in your story?

There are very few of us who go through life without giving away a part of our hearts to someone who didn't deserve it. Even though Sophie had the best intentions, she gave away her heart and she was hurt-not only that she must revisit those emotions. I wanted to include this element-to delve into the topic that emotions are sometimes as big of a trap as any physical cage. Emotions are real and they guide us -- even when we don't want to admit it. Poor Sophie, not only does she have to deal with a war around her -- she also has to deal with a war within herself. It's something I've battled, and mostly likely others have too.

3. Spanish Gold is an interesting element that arises in this book. Without spoiling the story, can you give a brief history of this gold?

Sure. When I was researching I came upon something interesting. The Spaniards, as we know, had taken much Aztec and Inca gold during the time of the conquistadors. Well, at the start of The Spanish Civil War much of this gold was still held in Madrid. In fact Spain had the fourth largest gold reserves in the world at that time. The Republican government was afraid Franco would take the city and the gold. They had to get it out of Madrid and this included transporting priceless artifacts. The element of gold does make its way into my story. It was great to include this little-known (and true!) element into my story.

4. Another historical fact involved the Nazi involvement during this time: not only were the Germans active in Spain, but they had spy networks busy around the world. How did you find out about this?

I love reading tons of research books. Usually I find one little element that I dig out and turn into a plot line. This is what happened with my plot-line for the Nazi pilot, Ritter. I dug up this bit of research of Nazi involvement in Spain -- and the United States -- because a lot of people aren't aware of the Nazi involvement prior to WWII. The truth is they were busy at work getting the land, information, and resources they needed far before they threatened the nations around them. The Germans knew what they wanted and how to get it. And most of the time they succeeded!

5. A Shadow of Treason is Book Two. When will Book Three be out? Can you give a hint of how the story continues?

Book Three is A Whisper of Freedom. It will be out February 2008. The characters that we love are all still in the midst of danger at the end of Book Two. Book Three continues their stories as we follow their journeys in -- and (for a few) out -- of Spain. It's an exciting conclusion to the series!

6. Are you working on any non-fiction?

Yes, I have two non-fiction books that will be out the early part of 2008. Generation NeXt Marriage is a marriage book for today's couples. It talks about our marriage role models, our struggles, and what we're doing right as a generation. It also gives advice for holding it together.

I've also been privileged to work on the teen edition of Max Lucado's book 3:16. It was a great project to work on. What an honor!

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Important Links!

First Chapter

Book 1, A Valley of Betrayal

Tricia's Website

Tricia's blogs:
BlogSpot
Gen X Parents
My Writing Mentor
My CCM
Shout Life

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Thank you, Tricia, for being in the spotlight. Readers, leave a comment for your chance to be entered in the drawing for a FREE book. If you don't wish to be entered, say so when you post. The contest is open to US/Canada residents only, but anyone may comment.